How is Life for Foreigners in Warsaw, Poland

If you are reading this post,
chances are high you are a foreigner and you are considering
if moving to Warsaw in Poland it is a good option.

As a foreigner myself,
and living in Warsaw for nearly 10 years,
I can tell you my experience.

Is Warsaw Poland a good country to live in?

The answer is YES,
or in Polish would say TAK.

If you are looking for a safe country to live in,
with plenty of job opportunities,
where you do not need to speak the local language,
Poland definitely can be a good option.

That may go to the next question you have,
in Poland, people speak Polish,
but what about if you only speak English?

Can you survive with English in Poland?

You need to take into account that Polish,
is probably one of the most difficult languages in the world,
compared to Chinese or Arabic.

But no need to panic yet.
Bear with me.

Most of the people in Poland,
and particularly in Warsaw speak fairly good English.

What does it mean?
For most of your day-to-day things,
you will manage with English.

If I share my experience,
after nearly living 10 years between Krakow and Warsaw,
it is very rarely a situation where I could not manage without English.

Doctor? It is possible with English.
Renting your apartment? The same.
Shopping? Of course.

Long story short,
you can survive with English.

Of course,
it would be good to speak Polish, but not a must.

Working as a foreigner in Poland

Think about any big company.

Say a name.

Changes are high that company is having operations in Warsaw.

The good thing?
In 99% of the cases,
the operations are managed in English.

What does it mean for you?
If you don't speak Polish,
you will be able to get a job in a top company in the city.

Every year more and more companies are centralizing operations in the city.
The current unemployment rate is less than 3% in the city of Warsaw.

If you are not sure how to get your next job in Warsaw,
in my newsletter (it is for free, no worries) I share tips on how to successfully pass the job interview.

When you leave your email, you will receive in your inbox,
what I did step by step to win the Procter & Gamble CEO Award during my first year in the company (given only to the top 3% performers).

Things to consider before moving to Warsaw

Few things to consider before your potential move to Warsaw.

The weather

In winter it is cold,
in summer it is cold.

Obvious, right?

How cold?
Let's say it is manageable.
As long as you have a proper winter jacket, a good hat and good boots.
you will be good.

You won't need to worry about feeling cold at home
unless you don't pay the bills, winter at home can feel too hot.

The heating normally is working full speed,
and the buildings are properly prepared for the cold weather.

To summarize,
the weather is not too cold.

While the "worst" months for living in Poland would be December to February.

The reason?
You would be surprised.
Not the weather.

Keep reading.

Light

If I need to flag one only thing I don't like about living in Warsaw,
without a doubt, it is the light,

Especially during the winter period.
The sky is normally grey and becomes dark very early.

Really really really early.

It is not at the level of the Nordic countries,
but let's say around 15:30,
you can already feel the night.

The currency

It may be obvious for many,
however,
the fact that Poland is part of the European Union it does not mean there are EUR.

The currency in Poland is the Polish Zloty (PLN),
being the exchange rate of 1EUR for 4.32PLN.